Warning: This review briefly discusses childhood sexual assault. Please skip if you want to.

Duckworth Books was started in 1898, is one of Britain’s oldest independent presses, and it has published many well-known and influential authors over the years.

They have one of the most in-depth histories of a publishing company that I have ever seen online, and you can access it here. In the history section they focus on the fact that Gerald Duckworth, Virginia Woolf’s half-brother, started Duckworth Books, and that he published her first two books. They do not mention that Gerald Duckworth sexually abused Virginia Woolf as a child. It strikes me as odd that not only have they’ve not changed their name, but they have tried to skip over this publicly known history, while emphasizing Gerald Duckworth’s familial relationship with Virginia Woolf.

They have good distribution, and for the most part, excellent covers. Their website is polished and professional. They accept only a very small percentage of the submissions they receive.

Their areas of current focus are memoir, biography, popular science, psychology, history and historical fiction. They are only accepting work that falls clearly into one of these categories. 

If you are considering submitting, I would encourage you to spend some time scanning their main page, which lists recently published books. Only submit work to them if you feel like your manuscript is a good fit.

In order to submit, please include a one-page synopsis of the manuscript highlighting the main storyline, key selling points, and how the book fills gaps in the market, or compliments books already on the market.

Also include two to three sample chapters, or the completed manuscript. Make sure to include your CV, outlining any books published, awards, or writing experience.

To submit, please visit their submission guidelines here.

Emily Harstone is the author of many popular books, including The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript Submissions, Submit, Publish, Repeat, and The 2020 Guide to Manuscript Publishers.

Yolk is published in print twice a year, in summer and winter. Since launching in 2020, they’ve published two print editions. Right now through August 15, they’re seeking submissions for their third edition, to be released later this summer. Although most issues are themed, this issue is unthemed and open to writing on any topic. Yolk also releases new digital content on a rolling basis.

Poets may submit up to three poems, totaling six pages or fewer. Authors of fiction may submit up to two stories, 3,000 words or fewer each. Authors of nonfiction—opinion pieces, biographies, and creative nonfiction essays—may submit one piece, 1,500 words of fewer. Yolk often provides prompts for nonfiction authors, so authors submitting in this genre should check for relevant topics before submitting.

Authors may submit to Yolk once every six months. Submitting authors can expect a response within about three months.

Yolk accepts submissions via email, not online or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions but ask that authors withdraw work published elsewhere. They do not accept previously published work.

Yolk only accepts submissions that adhere to the guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you would like to learn more, or submit to Yolk, please visit their website here.

Bio: Ella Peary is the pen name for an author, editor, creative writing mentor, and submission consultant. Over the past five years, she’s written hundreds of articles for Authors Publish, and she’s also served as a copywriter and copy editor for a wide range of organizations and individuals. She is the author of The Quick Start Guide to Flash Fiction. She occasionally teaches a course on flash fiction. You can contact her at ellapeary@gmail.com.

Anyone who’s published a book knows the hard promotional work starts even before typing “The End” on the last page of the manuscript. Ideally, marketing the book starts months before the book is published. One major item on that “to do” list is planning a book launch, or ideally a series of book launch events. Book launches are birth announcement for the arrival of a new book. Many authors use the tried-and-true Facebook or Instagram live approach to shout out the good news. I’ve found additional ways to promote and launch books.

• Get acquainted with your nearest Indie bookstore, but not to schedule a traditional book-signing event. Rather, develop a long-lasting partnership in which you help each other. Get to know them as a customer before asking them to help promote your book. Help them help you. To support my local book store I bought a gift card for myself at the start of the pandemic. I knew I’d buy more books and I realized they were really struggling to create a pandemic business model. This paid off when Mayflower Chronicles: The Tale of Two Cultures was released in the middle of the pandemic. The owner set up a live interview with me and invited her customers to watch it. We have deal whereby they call me in to sign books for customers who want autographed books. The owner has re-ordered my book several times and called me numerous times to autograph them.
• Befriend a librarian. Several of the closest libraries to me flooded in Houston in Hurricane Harvey in 2017. When they finally reopened, I delivered platters of cookies and congratulations notes. Since I’ve gotten to know several librarians, they invite me to speak at events and recommend me to other librarians in other cities. One of the first events I did after my latest book was published was for a librarian in Boston, via Zoom.
• I do a lot of writing in coffee shops. When my book Asunder was published, I approached the owner of a local one-of-a-kind coffee shop about doing a book event at her shop. She loved the idea. We gave coupons for a dollar discount on a beverage to anyone who stopped by to talk with me.
• I get my hair cut at a small salon. The owner eagerly agreed to host a book launch event. One stylist bought a copy of my book as a gift for a client she knew was going through a rough time.
• I was browsing through an antique mall with my daughter and on the way out noticed a postcard advertising an event coming up in a couple of months. I suggested they do an event based on my new book and they agreed it would be something unique. The day of the event the owner thanked me repeatedly for arranging it. A staff woman took a photo of us together, which I posted on social media and he posted on their website.
• Join forces. It is more fun and less stressful to ask another author to do a book launch together at yet another friend’s home.
• Our Houston area Kroger grocery stores have a program in which authors schedule a time to sell books in stores. Authors select the date and which store they want.

I’ve also gone to book fairs and am signed up for another one now that COVID has slowed down in my area. However, I’ve found that it difficult to sell enough books at such a events to offset the cost of setting up at one. The majority of people who come to book fairs seem to be other authors looking to sell their own work rather than readers looking for their next must-read book. By focusing on places where readers shop, read, relax, tend to the routine details of everyday life, I am more likely to reach readers. Even if I don’t sell many books, I’m getting my name and my books more recognition without spending much money to do so.

Get to know the people who manage the places you go often. It costs nothing to ask if they’d consider hosting a book launch event. They will probably be grateful for suggesting a new way to attract more customers. It can’t hurt to ask, and it might help sell more books.

Kathryn Haueisen is an author, speaker and retired pastor. She combines her Journalism and Master of Divinity degrees to write about good people doing great things in the global village.  She’s published six books and dozens of articles in print and on-line publications. Follow her at www.howwisethen.com.